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2009 releases artists artists to watch for in 2010 digital downloads guitar live songs music music videos

Mumford and Sons – “Little Lion Man” (Video) & live “White Blank Page”

I don’t quite know how I’ve let this go until now without a post. Mumford and Sons was a band I’d heard mentioned in quite a few places online, but for some reason I’d never bothered to track down much of their stuff. That was, at least, until Song, By Toad (easily one of my favourite music blogs) featured a fantastic video of the group performing their killer track, “White Blank Page”. The video is, quite frankly, sublime, and I’ll simply point you towards the Toad site to watch it there.

After that, I did a bit more digging myself, and found that the band has recently released the official video for their debut single, “Little Lion Man”… and I’ve fallen in love with it.


Both tracks appear on Mumford and Sons upcoming debut album, “Sigh No More”, which I believe drops tomorrow, coincidentally enough. I know what my next purchase will be…

Below, a “live on BBC1” version of them performing “White Blank Page”.

Can you lie next to her and give her your heart, your heart?
As well as your body, and can you lie next to her and confess your love, your love?
As well as your folly and can you kneel before the king and say ‘I’m clean’, ‘I’m clean’?

– Mumford and Sons, “White Blank Page”

Listen. Love. Support.

Mumford and Sons – White Blank Page (BBC Radio 1 Session)

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2009 releases artists digital downloads guitar music

Dave Smallen – I Think It’s Getting Better

There is no better day than today, a Monday, to play this song for you. Below, Dave Smallen‘s “I Think It’s Getting Better”.

You know, I can count on one hand the songs this year that have made me feel just as damn happy as this song has. And I think that maybe… just maybe… Dave’s right: things really just might be getting better.


It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard.



Hat-tip to Heather for passing it along.


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2008 releases artists artists to watch for in 2010 digital downloads guitar music music videos

So happy I just heard: Ben Howard

The music blogging gig is a weird thing… you can go months without hearing anything that inspires you, and then all of a sudden a whole host of tunes reach out and smack you across the face in a course of a week.
This has been one of those weeks.

Today, following a link posted in Jason Mraz’s twitter account (not actually run by Jason, but you know what I mean), I headed across to listen to some of Ben Howard‘s tunes… and immediately spent 20 minutes clicking “play”, again and again.

Ben hails from Devon, in the United Kingdom, and considering his style of playing and musical influences (John Martyn, Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell, Ray Lamontagne, Damien Rice, Jose Gonsalez, Bon Iver), I was surprised I hadn’t stumbled across his stuff before… as really, that sounds like a typical afternoon on my iPod.

Ben has that percussive style of guitar playing that’s seen in some of my favourite guitarists mentioned on here before, such as Andy McKee, Guy Buttery, Xavier Rudd and Kaki King. After a bit of surfing, I came across a video – which I’ve embedded below – of Ben playing a live set featuring the song, “Empty Corridors”, that is simply amazing…

 

Quite frankly, I’m putting Ben Howard on my “Surely Going To Make It” list. And that brings me to the real reason for this post: I’m sending you towards his myspace page to listen to the opening track there, entitled “The Wolves”. If “The Wolves” isn’t enough to convince you of this kid’s future, then I’m not sure what will. From that opening “Ooooh”, it’s sheer perfection.

Listen. Love. Support.

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2009 releases digital downloads guitar music music videos

Joe Raciti – Love Love

You know, sometimes I’m not the best music blogger in the world. I let emails slip through the cracks. I let this blog take a back seat to my day time job, and to every day life. While that pretty much qualifies me for “a normal person with his priorities right”, it sometimes means my batting average as a blogger doesn’t stand up to others.

romantic-shark-attack-by-joe-raciti_4c1ysmrogccx_216w_216hBut, sometimes you get those people who still persevere. Who don’t let my slack blogging habits get in their way. And sometimes, just sometimes, I love them for it.
Joe Raciti is one of those artists. I’m not even sure how long we’ve been communicating via email. It started off when he was pitching me on something – the exact topic escapes me now – which I declined. He got back to me saying that was ok; he was just sending the pitch as part of his day job. His real passion was his own music.

And so followed a few pitches of his own. Each time, I let them slip by the side. Joe has a style of music that isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea, and I suppose in the early days of this blog I might have let that hold me back slightly. Pop, showtunes, musicals… popsical, as Joe terms it. But while his style isn’t always for everyone, one thing that no one can deny is his creativity. Just take a look at this video he released last year, of his song “All Hail the Great Blue Whale”, which was created “using only instruments made out of cardboard and the human voice”.

Anyway, all of this is a precursor to letting you know that Joe has released his new album, “Romantic Shark Attack”… which, as usual, is quirky, melodic, and… above all… never boring.

The below is a track from “Romantic Shark Attack” called “Love Love”, and really showcases Joe Raciti’s pop sensibilities. Quite frankly, I think Joe’s finally ready to blast out. And I want to help him. So Joe, this one’s for you.

Listen: Joe Raciti – Love Love

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2008 releases artists digital downloads guitar

Juzzie Smith – Travelling

juzzie
Juzzie Smith – The One Man Band that will blow you away

Juzzie Smith is one of those happy coincidental discoveries. It just so happened that, while my mother was out in Australia visiting us on holiday, we took her up the Sunshine Coast for the weekend. While up there, we decided to take a trip to the Eumundi Markets, which always has some interesting stalls up.

Of course, it took me all of two minutes to grow tired of shopping, so I went off for a wander around the food stalls, as I am wont to do. (What, I was hungry and the German Kransky Sausages smell was calling to me, ok? Never mind that I’m still nursing a burn on my tongue from the hot, but oh-so-delicious cheese. Ahem… back on track)

So while I was wandering around, nursing an inflamed tongue, I heard the unmistakable sounds of a one-man-band playing. A lap slide guitar, some mean harp… I was instantly pulled towards the sounds. And what I found, when I reached the source, was one-man-band and one-man-smiling-machine, Juzzie Smith.

Juzzie is the quintessential busker. Talking to the crowd, he explained that this was his life: travelling the world with his wife and daughter, performing his music live for whoever will listen to it, and flogging his recordings when he can. Ultimately, Juzzie lives the romantic notion of the travelling musician that others of us only dream of. Not only did Juzzie rekindle that fire in my belly of what music can do with his tales, but his music itself was a sheer primal force.

Needless to say, I bought two of his CDs right there and then.

There is one, slight, downer here though. I have to say that Juzzie live simply does not come across in Juzzie recorded. I’m not sure what it is, maybe that grit that comes from hearing someone perform on the sidewalk is washed away in a steril studio… but while the recordings are great, they don’t quite stand up to Juzzie Smith live.

I’m not sure anything ever will.

That said, here’s a tune from Juzzie’s “happy Daze” release, called… you guessed it, “Travelling”.

Listen. Love. Support.

Listen: Juzzie Smith – Travelling

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artists digital downloads guitar live songs

Joe Pug – How Good You Are (live at Schuba’s Tavern, 2009)

joe-pug21

My love for Joe Pug is no secret. If there is one artist who I have ever featured on this blog that I would like to see succeed, it’s Joe. Joe’s “Nation of Heat” EP was passed around my friends and family and random people I accosted on the street like no other, and it was one of the most promising debuts I have heard to date.

Recently, a live show of Joe Pug performing at Schuba’s Tavern on May 1st was posted to archive.org, and the set has pretty much been spinning non-stop through my headphones since then. A pleasant mixture of solo and full band stuff, the show hints at a great upcoming release. The full show can be downloaded here, but below, I’ve included the highlight of the set for me… that’s the opening tune, “How Good You Are”.

This song has hit me like a stake through the chest. I simply cannot wait for the upcoming full-length. Here’s to more of this from Joe Pug.

Listen. Love. Support.

Listen: Joe Pug – How Good You Are

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2009 releases artists digital downloads guitar music

Malcolm Middleton – Carry Me

malcolm-middleton21
Malcolm Middleton

It’s no secret that Malcolm Middleton is one of my favourite Scottish songwriters. And I don’t use “Scottish” there as a qualification, or an attempt to pigenhole Malcolm. I use it as a badge of honour… I see it as a compliment of the highest order to be seen to lead such a talented group. Which is why it’s such a shame that Malcolm Middleton‘s latest album, “Waxing Gibbous”, is reportedly his last solo work for some years.

It’s a shame, because all indications point towards the album being – quite frankly – sodding brilliant. This track, “Carry Me“, is the perfect example of how Malcolm does… well, what Malcolm does so well. A song that exudes hopelessness… but one that is also tempered with a wry wit. Malcolm recently talked to Stereogum about the song:

I suppose “Carry Me” is really an adult’s reaction to the failed promises of youth, where we turn a point and realize we’ve lost our imagination and innocence. It’s an autobiographical expressive rant. Watching Roxy Music and Duran Duran videos, Cadbury’s Milk Tray adverts on TV … this is the way I thought life would be when I was seven years old! Musically it’s quite circular and descending and I think this creates the nostalgic and familiar mood. Recurring mistakes, leading to positive realizations. It does reek of death and remorse a little bit; our declining society and over-saturated culture. The chorus is the consoling hug thrown in to help things a little.

Listen. Love. Support.

Listen: Malcolm Middleton – Carry Me

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2009 releases artists digital downloads guitar music

Jeremy Enigk – Mind Idea

jeremy-by-mark-swanson
Jeremy Enigk (image credit: Mark Swanson)

Jeremy Enigk has always been an artist that has fascinated me. Not only because of his work with the highly touted Sunny Day Real Estate, but also because his solo debut, “The Return of the Frog Queen” from 1996 was an album that challenged my perception of what pop music could be. And, of course, “Don’t Go Racing” still rates as one of my favourite songs of all time.

So it’s fair to say that Jeremy Enigk has a special place in my heart. Which is why he always has a tough time of it when he releases new music. I hold him to a standard that few others are subjected to. It’s not fair, no… but it’s the way it is.

And that is why I was so happy to hear the track, “Mind Idea” from Jeremy’s upcoming album, “OK Bear”. It’s just over 2 and a half minutes of Jeremy at his best: vocals that soar, imagery that captures… and a force that hits you in the chest.

In other words… hooray.

OK Bear is out today.

Listen: Jeremy Enigk – Mind Idea